Book Review: The Powerhouse

Arguably no existing technology holds more potential to slow climate change and reboot the economy than the lithium-ion battery.


The Powerhouse

By Steve LeVine

VIKING

Arguably no existing technology holds more potential to slow climate change and reboot the economy than the lithium-ion battery. Quartz reporter Steve LeVine chronicles the global race to develop a battery cheap and durable enough to supplant the internal-combustion engine. The field is littered with hype and people left in the dust—including LeVine, whose book, in its slow march to press, didn’t get to the solid-state battery technology that’s now at the cutting edge. Even so, he offers a revealing deep dive into the challenges of creating a killer app for the planet.


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